Sunday, April 24, 2011

preserving memories

Capturing moments in time is the one great successes of still photography. I would never know what my grandparents looked like on their wedding day or remember the first views of my daughters without the images created by a camera. Before the advent of lenses, shadow boxes and silver halide, pictures were made and preserved by hand - with paint, ink, charcoal and blood. Put down on paper or rock walls, these images told stories and helped preserve the past. Kokopelli is a deity that has been worshipped since the ancient pueblo peoples of the southwest first scribed their history on sandstone. Overseeing agriculture and fertility, he is also a trickster and represents the spirit of music. To my daughter Kate, he is a memory of every trip to Arizona and New Mexico - great times spent with her aunts, uncles, cousins & grandparents. From a Robert Shields Kokopelli sculpture to the clay tile, hand painted by her in Santa Fe and now with ink - Kate has used this ancient symbol to hold on to her past.